Emily Ratajkowski's Anti-Aging Skin Secret Is $17 Right Now

If nothing else, 2020 brought me a newfound appreciation for Emily Ratajkowski. For starters, her self-aware, heartbreaking essay for New York Magazine in September really moved me. After I followed her on Instagram, I realized that her wisdom reaches far — not just on social issues, but in behind-the-scenes tips for maintaining incredibly glowy skin. Her secret? One bottle of snail mucin cream, please, and make it on sale.

In April, Ratajkowski revealed on Instagram that like most people, her skin "freaked out" at the beginning of quarantine. Incorporating Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence into her routine calmed things down. Normally $23, you can get a bottle of the good stuff on sale at Amazon for just $17. The product's main ingredient is snail mucin — otherwise known as snail slime — and while it might conjure up odd thoughts (for me it's sugar plum snail fairies alighting on my skin at night), it's an extraordinarily effective moisturizer and collagen stimulator.

Shop now: $17 (Originally $23); amazon.com

It first rose to popularity in Korea, but when K-beauty splashed its way onto American shelves, skincare enthusiasts embraced it rather gingerly (after all, it's literally snail slime). Once the ingredient's skin-soothing, anti-aging effects became clear, it took off, and the rest was dermal history.

There are a lot of snail mucin products on the market, but the Cosrx essence is one of the most popular. Amazon shoppers commented that after just two weeks of use, their acne scars faded and their pores were less visible. Some say it's shown them wild improvements in hyperpigmentation, reaching levels previously only achievable with pricey, dermatologist-administered laser treatments.

And the results don't stop there. Shoppers enthuse that it easily eliminates stubborn melasma patches, simultaneously evening out their skin tone and smoothing the furrow between their eyebrows within a week. Others say it ″literally aged me backwards," healing red splotches and breakouts within two days. "I never figured snail mucin would be something I would allow on my face, but it's magic!" another shopper commented. "I even use it on my neck along with my face, and my skin is so much smoother and tighter. No more little tiny wrinkles or saggy skin."

According to the Amazon reviews, there's nothing it can't do — it tackles redness, hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and old acne scars with ease, and even noticeably tightening skin left loose from past pregnancies. In short, it's "a miracle," and it's 26 percent off right now, making it the perfect time to try out a bit of snail magic in a bottle.